Knotter



(No Model.) v 2 Sheath-Sheet 1.

- P. A. OLOUDMAN.

KNOTTER.

No. 392,719. Patented Nov. 13, 18881.

'2 N A M D U 0 L G A P KN-OTTER.

No. 392,719. Patented Nov. 13, 1888.

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FRANCIS A. CLOUDMAN, OF CUMBERLAND MILLS, MAINE, ASSIGNOR TO S. D.WARREN & COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

KNOTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,719 dated November13, 1888.

Application filed July 28, 1887. Serial No. 245,507. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. CLOUDMAN, of Cumberland Mills, county ofCumberland, and State of Maine, have invented an Improvement inKnotters, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, likeletters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to pulp-screens, and

has for its object to provide apparatus by which the knots and coarsematerial may be removed from the screen-plate, the finer fiber of woodor other material passing through the said screen-plate.

:5 My improved apparatus or knotter, as it will be hereinafterdesignated by me, will preferably be used in connection with a pulpscreen or dresser of any ordinary construction, and in practicetheknotter will be located,preferabl y,

below the said pulp screen or dresser, so that a surplus of fiber mixedwith water may flow from the box in which the screen or dresser isplaced into the said knotter.

The fiber mixed with knots, or containing 2 bunches and other coarsematerial, is conveyed upward over a preferably inclined coarse screenplate by a carrier shown as bars or flights attached to an endless chainpassed about sprocket-wheels, the latter being revolved, as will bedescribed, to cause the endless chain to travel. The bars or flights lieupon and scrape over the screen-plate, and the knots of fiber and othermaterial too coarse to pass through the screen-plate are carried up bythe said bars or flights and discharged into a receptacle, or it may beupon the floor. The

mixture of fibers and knots carried up by the bars or flights referredto will preferably be subjected to the action of a stream or spray of 0water discharged upon the screen-plate near its upper end, the saidwater washing the fiber through the screen-plate into a chamber belowthe screenplate, and from which it may be pumped to the main screen ordresser above ;5 the knotter.

The particular features in which my invention consists will be pointedout in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partially broken out, of a knotterconstructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a top or plan viewof Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical section of the knottershown in Fig. 1,t0 more clearly show the adjustable gate, the pipe dbeing enlarged.

The box or curb A contains within it an inclined coarse screen-plate, a,which may be supported in any suitable manner above partitions a 66",forming chambers c a" below said screenplate. The screen'plate a hascooperating with it, as shown, a number of flights or bars,

b, attached to an endless chain, 1), passed about sprocketwheels b bmounted on shafts b If, the shaft I) being mounted in a frame, B,movable in guides I)", the frame B, as shown, being made adjustable inthe guides b to regulate the tension of the chain I) by means of anadjusting device, shown as the screw 0, operated by the hand-wheel c.The endless chain b is made to travel, as shown, by means of the bevelgear a in mesh with the pinion c on the shaft 0, to which rotation isimparted by the band-wheel c driven in any suitable manner.

My improved knotter is designed to be used in connection with the pulpscreen or dresser of any suitable construction, and the said knotter isconnected with the overflow of the said pulp screen or dresser by apipe, d, which conducts the surplus fiber from the pulpscreen into thechamber a.

The fiber in the chamber a is carried up over the inclined screen-platea, having its lower end below the level of the liquid in the chamber a",by the flights or bars I), and as it is thus carried up the said fiberis subjected to 85 a stream or spray of water issuing, as shown, from aperforated pipe, d, connected with a water-supply, (not shown,) the saidpipe being so located as to direct the water downward over thescreen-plate. The finer or softer 0 particles or knots of fiber are thuswashed through the screen into the chamber (1 from whence the said fibermay be returned by the pipe (Z connected with a pump,(not shown,) to themain pulp screen or dresser. The harder 9 5 knots and coarser particlesof fiber not disintegrated by the bars I), and which are not washedthrough the screen a,rem1ain upon the said screen, and are carried upand discharged over the end of the sereeninto a suitable recep- 10otacle, (not shown,) or it may be upon the floor.

As herein shown, I have provided an overflow or gate, (1", having arack, 17,, in mesh with a pinion on a shaft, d, supported by the box orcurb A, the said shaft havinga hand-wheel, d, by which the said overflowor gate may be raised or lowered to vary the amount of fiber in thechamber a, whereby more or less of the screen-plate is covered withliquid, thus presenting a large or smaller surface of the screenplateupon which theknots may be depositedas, for instance, when the pulpcontains large quantities of coarse knots not easily disintegrated, thegate will be raised so as to cover a large part of the screen-plate withliquid, whereby a large quantity of the said knots may be deposited onthe screen-plate and separated from the finer pulp. If the pulp is of asofter nature and substantially free from knots, the gate may be loweredto permit the pulp to pass to the chamber a", only a small portion ofthe screen-plate being immersed in the liquid. By regulating the amountof overflow passing through the pipe (I and by means of the adjustablegate the amount of liquid in the charm her a may be controlled and thecapacity of the said chamber increased, so as to prevent the saidliquid, which contains the knots and coarse particles of pulp, fromflowing into the chamber a and mixing with the pulp which hasbeen freedfrom knots, and which is pumped back to the screen (not shown) to bepassed therethrough.

I claim 1. In an apparatus for removing knots and coarser particles frompulp fibers, a box or curb to contain pulp, an inclined screen-plate,and a carrier to convey the pulp up the said screen-plate, combined witha water-discharge located above the screen-plate to wash the fineparticles of pulp carried up the screen by the carrier through the saidscreen, while the coarser particles or knots are carried over thescreen, substantially as specified.

2. In an apparatus for removing knots and coarser particles from pulpfibers, a box or curb to contain pulp, an inclined screen-plate, and anendless chain having flights or bars attached to it and normally restingupon the screen-plate, combined with gearing to move the said chain, andwith a pipe d, to discharge water upon the screenplate, as and for thepurpose specified.

3. A boX or curb, A, provided with chambers a" a, a pipe, (1,communicating with the chamber a, and a pipe, d, communicating with thechamber a", combined with an overflow or gate, (1, substantially asdescribed.

The box or curb A, an inclined screenplate, a, located therein, anendless chain having flights or bars I), and sprocket-wheels b I), overwhich the said chain is passed, combined with gearing to rotate saidsprocketwheels, and with an adjusting device to adjust the tension ofthe endless chain, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this speeificationin thepresence of two'subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS A. CLOUDM AN.

Vitnesses:

HENRY NUTTER, M. W. ARMSTRONG.

